Burst Pipe Soaks Bonaventure Lobby

All those ponds in the four floors of the lobby complex of the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles came in handy early Friday when a water pipe burst and cold water gushed out over lobby floors. Hotel workers with mops sloshed much of the water into the ponds and pushed the rest out onto Flower Street.

Fifteen firefighters used their “jaws of life” lifesaving tool, usually used for prying human victims out of wrecks, to finally stop the flooding by pinching the 1 1/2-inch chilled water pipe closed after nearly two hours.

No guests were forced to leave their rooms. Hotel officials said there was “only a few thousand dollars” damage to several retail shops and restaurants and most were back in operation by nightfall. T’Boli, a fourth-floor Filipino restaurant, sustained minor carpet damage.

Assistant Manager Doug Dreher said faulty soldering may have caused the pipe rupture.